


Crocotta

by casti3l



Category: Original Work, Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Short Story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-04
Updated: 2015-01-04
Packaged: 2018-03-05 06:56:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3110297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/casti3l/pseuds/casti3l
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Adam is lost. Hopelessly lost. And there is something lurking in the shadows. Something silent, something deadly, and, as Adam will quickly learn, something that is after him.</p><p>Just a short story I wrote for a competition.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Crocotta

**Author's Note:**

> This was a story I wrote for an English Short Story Compition, which is why it's rather, well, short. I won first place. Although I used both Balthazar and Adam, the only reason I chose these two characters was because 
> 
> 1\. I used a line Balthazar quoted in the show  
> 2\. Bad stuff happens to Adam in the story, and bad things happened to Adam in the show. 
> 
> I don't own either character. I merely borrowed them.

Dark shapes flitted across the worn jungle trail. Adam tilted his head, trying to catch a glimpse of the full moon through the thick canopy above. The air around him was alive with the familiar jungle sounds: the constant hum of insects, only broken by the occasional birdcall or howler monkey. He let out a groan, rolling his head back. He was lost, halfway around the globe. How had he gotten here? Oh, right. His mother. Adam angrily kicked a small stone, sending it clattering down the path ahead of him. He had been dragged here against his will because of his mother, called in to study some temple. Or something like that. Adam couldn't care less. And now he was lost. Lost. The word stuck to the roof of his mouth. The undergrowth rustled to his left, snapping him out of his thoughts. He froze. The bush moved, slowly at first, and something emerged. A rabbit. Adam relaxed. He kicked a rock in its general direction, trying to hide his embarrassment of being startled. The truth was, he was terrified. But he wasn't going to show it. A howl cut through in the night, and he picked up his pace. I didn't think I went this far, he thought to himself. Something caught his eye, and his heart leapt for joy. A fire. He hurried through the trees, breaking into a small clearing. A small fire was lit in the center, but no one was there. "Mom?" he called hopefully.

"Adam?" his mother's voice rang through the trees. "Adam?"

Adam paused, listening. The jungle had gone completely silent; even the insects had ceased their humming. Then, suddenly, an ear-splitting, heart-stopping scream pierced the air. Then all fell silent.

"Mom?" Something moved in Adam's peripheral vision, and he spun around.

A man entered the clearing, a gun slung across his shoulder. His eyes grew wide when he saw the boy. He approached, eyes blazing. Adam stepped back.

"What are you doing?" the man exclaimed, and Adam noted a slight British accent. He kicked dirt over the fire, smothering it. "Come with me. It's not safe here." When Adam hesitated, the man looked back. "Do you want to die?" he snapped. Adam followed the man through the jungle, finding it difficult to keep up with the stranger's long strides. Soon, they stopped beside a old, run-down cabin. The door stood closed at an awkward angle, and the rotten shutters hung on broken hinges. The roof sagged, and several of its shingles lay on the ground. Without hesitation, the stranger entered. When Adam didn't follow, he looked back outside. "Are you coming?" When Adam shook his head, the stranger sighed. "Well, you can't stay out there. You never know what's in these parts."

Adam entered the cabin. The stranger lit a small fire in the fireplace. Leaning against an rickety wooden table, Adam studied the man. He was dressed in jeans, a light grey v-neck shirt, and a tight black jacket -- unusual clothes to wear in the jungle. A long silver necklace disappeared into his shirt. Blonde hair was cropped close to his head, and his blue eyes flickered around the room. "Um, hey," Adam began. The stranger ignored him, crossing to the other side of the room. "Hey," Adam repeated, louder this time. The man looked down at a table which was covered with stacks of paper. "I said, 'Hey'!"

"Yes, you did," the stranger acknowledged. "Twice, actually. Good for you." He flashed him a smile before returning to studying the notes. Adam started to ask a question, but was interrupted. "The name's Balthazar. What's yours?"

"Adam." Adam crossed his arms.

"Adam Milligan? Kate's son?" Balthazar looked up, interested.

Adam nodded, and opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by a noise outside.

"Adam?" his mother called. He turned.

"Quiet." The man held up a hand. "That's not your mother."

"Yes, it is." Adam protested angrily, stomping towards the door.

"No, it's not. It's not because it can't be." Adam froze. "Now listen. Really listen." Adam did as he was told, listening to his mother's calls. Ice shot through his veins. The voice was wrong; it sounded strained, unnatural. "See?" Balthazar cocked an eyebrow.

"Who is it?" Adam whispered.

"Not who. What."

"Okay. Then what is it?"

"Crocotta." The man looked up, eyes gleaming with excitement. "I know, everyone says it's just a legend. But it's not. It's real; I've been hunting it." He ran a finger over a page. "You ever heard the stories?"

Adam nodded. Everyone knew of the Crocotta, the creature that roamed the jungle, luring its prey by mimicking voices familiar to its victims. "You're lying." Adam insisted. His mother called again. "That, that is my mother out there looking for me, not some...monster!"

"That is not your mother."

"Why not?"

"Because your mother is dead!" Balthazar snapped.

Adam froze. "No," he whispered. He stepped backwards. "No. You're lying. You're lying!" He spun around and ran out of the cabin, ignoring Balthazar's pleas to come back. He sprinted into the jungle. "Mom?" he called desperately. "Mom!"

"Adam?" Adam spun around. White hot terror shot through his spine. It wasn't his mom.

Dark eyes glowed in the shadows. Above them, the clouds shifted, and moonlight filtered through the trees. It revealed the creature, turning its brown pelt silver. Muscles rippled under thick, coarse fur. The creature cocked its head to one side. "Adam?" Adam froze. "Adam?" it asked again, black eyes sparkling with a deadly hunger. It bared its jagged yellow teeth, creeping forward.

Adam was unable to move, his body rigid with fear. "Balthazar?" he called helplessly.

The creature paused before opening its jaws unnaturally wide, letting out a blood-curdling scream. Then it leapt, knocking the boy into the ground. Adam screamed, but he was cut short as long fangs sunk into his throat. Claws ripped at his chest, tearing it to ribbons. He jerked once, then was still. The creature stepped back, into the shadows. "Adam?" Balthazar's voice rang through the jungle. The creature swiveled its ears, eyes gleaming. It opened its jaws, adopting the boy's voice.

"Balthazar?"


End file.
